Album Review: The Black Keys – ‘Brothers’ (V2/Co-Op Music)

Album Review: The Black Keys - 'Brothers' (V2/Co-Op Music)

Score

Lack of authenticity is no barrier for The Black Keys

One word seems to follow two-piece bands around: authentic. Plump for just drums and guitar and there’s an assumption that what you’re listening to is the musical version of a historical recreation society. [b]The Black Keys[/b] are clearly determined not to get stuck in any such rut, with [b]‘Brothers’[/b] marking the midway point between the garage-rock stylings of their first few albums and the hip-hop influence of last year’s [b]Blackroc[/b] side-project album. [b]Danger Mouse[/b], having produced that effort, returns to add production chill to [b]‘Tighten Up’[/b]’s infectious whistling, funked-up bass and sun-baked vocals, while the band’s own soul-drenched fingerprints are smeared over the rest of the record. [b]‘I’m Not The Only One’[/b] floats over with [b]Empire Of The Sun[/b]-esque euphoria, [b]‘Too Afraid To Love You’[/b] finds the band’s desert-worn vocals joined by stately harpsichords, and closer [b]‘These Days’[/b] sees heart-strung emotions crashing against guitar fuzz. Authentic? Who cares when it sounds this good?

[b]Paul Stokes[/b]

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